Slade have admitted that they are struggling to find a replacement for outgoing frontman Mal McNulty.

Mal wants to bow out because he doesn't feel able to deliver the kind of performance the glam rock icons need.

And since there's no chance of persuading Noddy Holder to return to the mic, guitarist Dave Hill and drummer Don Powell have been engaged in a series of auditions with other singers.

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Powell tells the Birmingham Mail: "It's the hardest job in the world to fill because Noddy was such an incredible singer."

They'd tried to secure the services of Almost Slayed tribute vocalist Danny Devil, who's regarded as a 'carbon copy' of Holder, but it hasn't worked out because he's based in Australia.

"On paper it sounds great," says Powell, "but his partner is in the band and he's in Australia. in reality it's a bit silly. It may have caused too many problems."

The drummer said of the last round of auditions: "I wasn't impressed with any of them, I'm afraid."

Slade – who still play 20,000-seater stadiums in Europe – started looking for a frontman in May, when Hill said: "We're after somebody like Bon Scott really – somebody with a really good rock voice who can handle the material. Somebody with a bit of presence."

Holder left the band in 1991 and has refused several approaches to return, as has bassist and co-songwriter Jim Lea.